Filed under: Coupe, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives, Luxury

All-Wheel Drive Sans Compromise



One can hardly mutter the words "German," "luxury" and "all-wheel drive" without invoking visions of Audi. The company has worked hard to make its quattro all-wheel-drive system synonymous with each of the phrases above, and its tireless marketing, successful motorsports programs and loyal fans have inextricably married the Four Rings to the power of all-wheel drive luxury. But Audi isn't the only German manufacturer putting power to all four wheels. Buyers have been happily bringing BMW xDrive models home for years, and Mercedes-Benz has a long and storied history of grips-at-all-four-corners innovation as well.

From vehicles like the globe-conquering Unimog to the somewhat more civil G-Class, the Silver Arrow has more than a little experience when it comes to overcoming uncertain terrain. Beyond four-wheel drive systems, Mercedes has sold over one million 4Matic all-wheel drive vehicles in the U.S. since the system's debut here in 1989. These days, Benz offers 4Matic on 10 of its vehicle lines in a total of 21 variations, and for 2012, luxury coupe buyers can rejoice in the inclusion of both the E350 4Matic Coupe and the C350 4Matic Coupe to the horde. With rivals like the Audi A5 and BMW 335i xDrive Coupe already default choices for two-door shoppers who prefer the foul weather capability of all-wheel drive, will the newest additions to the Mercedes-Benz stable be able to keep the pace? We took to the C350 4Matic Coupe to find out.Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic

2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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03-13-2012 12:57 PM